In conversation with a colleague recently, I indicated that I believed one of my skills is to roll with ambiguity and place some structure and process around it. Her next comments made me step back. She said that I would be an asset to an organization that is lacking in command and control processes. Wait! What?

After dismissing the comment because she really doesn’t know me very well - I began to ponder the validity of her statement. What evidence do I have to support or refute it? There is no secret that I like structure and organization – I like lists, charts, schedules, and systems. I like bringing simplicity to the complex. I also like to work with people to meet their needs and make their world better. I like helping others connect the dots to bring pieces of a puzzle together. I also love helping people grow and develop their skills and confidence.

After reviewing the evidence I think my conclusion is that the answer lies in the difference between the “what” and the “how” of a situation. I also believe that as in all complex systems there is not a “right” answer. And I am a complex system.

While researching ambiguity on-line I found a new favourite quote – “What starts in vagueness, stays in vagueness.”Tree Toad Consulting